Re: My bird hates me

Greencheek conures usually aren't prone to fearful behavior like that - that is they usually get over scary stuff within days.But some of the Old World parrots like greys do sometimes have that tendancy. I heard of someone whose Senegal was frightened by some new brighty colored nail polish she had and took months to get over that fear. And my local bird rescue had a grey for adoption because it had become terrified of its owner after the owner rescued it from a hawk.

Most likely something did happen to scare your GCC very badly. Perhaps he was attacked or injured during his time as a stray before he found you and something more recently reminded him of that (they have excellent memories). Most GCC's (well parrots in general) are nervous of objects moving above them that might resemble hawks. Also, being grabbed from above, even if it is a trusted person grabbing them, can be scary for some birds. Some owners also say their GCC's act scared of cords, hoses, and other snakelike objects (my own GCC is not scared of those though).